Bioengineers Grow New Arms for Monkeys Using Human Cells

Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)are developing new methods to grow fully functional limbs arms for Macaque monkeys, a technique that could one day used on humans.

The technique was previously used to grow lungs, a beating heart and regenerate the arm of a rat. According to CNN, research lead and director of the organ repair and regeneration lab at MGH, Harald Ott, is now trialing the method on monkeys.

First, a scaffold of a monkeys arm is made by flushing out all the donor's cells inside with saline and detergents. The scaffold is rebuilt with progenitor cells obtained from humans that can be stimulated into becoming blood or muscle cells and more.

Exit Theatre Mode

The bioengineers first began with blood cells and vessels. They will then work up to muscle cells, followed by connective tissue, bone, cartilage, fat cells and finally nerve cells.

Ott hopes to apply the technique to create functional limbs for humans using the amputee’s own cells. Transplanting an arm or leg made from an amputee’s cells will be less likely to be attacked by their immune system.

"[We need] to show we can apply this process to limbs of human scale," Ott told CNN. "If it works out you could generate ... on demand."